Declan's windfall on Winning Streak

ANNE CAMPBELL

Declan Bergin from Lis na Dara in Dundalk collecting his winnings from Eddie Banville from the National Lottery, Winning Streak presenters Geri Maye and Marty Whelan and ticket seller Annette Quigley from Mace on the Carrick Road.

DUNDALK'S ' winning streak' continued at the weekend with a Lis na Dara man walking away with just over €41,000 - and a third person from the town is due at the Donnybrook studios next week to make it three-in-a-row for Dundalk.

Last Saturday, Declan Bergin from Lis na Dara, Carrick Road, followed in the footsteps of college student Boli Oni from town who won €47,800 on Winning Streak the previous week. And Tara Callaghan from Manydown Close, Red Barns Road, will make it a treble for Dundalk as she is on the show next Saturday.

Declan won prizes worth €41,200 – including a car and a holiday – on the programme, hosted by Marty Whelan and Geri Maye. House painter Declan told producers he had lived in Boston for two years a decade ago and his parents are Frank and Briege.

His girlfriend, Denise, bought the lucky scratch card for him at the Mace, Carrick Road, and put Declan's name on it, without telling him. He said he was ' totally shocked' when he started receiving phonecalls that weekend telling him his name had been chosen from the drum and Denise told him what she'd done when he called her.

Declan, who said he enjoys cooking, socialising and travel, would like to be able to treat himself and Denise to a holiday and he has no problem doing that now because part of his prize package is a trip to the Caribbean island of Tobago.

He also won a Toyota Avensis on the show, which was also attended by McDermott's Terrace Mace manager Annette Quigley, whose shop is no stranger to National Lottery luck.

Earlier this year, the Carrick Road store sold a €2 million Lotto jackpot ticket that was claimed by a couple from the county, who wanted to remain anonymous.